Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the central government’s decision to raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on lottery tickets has dealt a severe blow to the state’s lottery sector.

"The GST on lottery tickets has been abruptly increased from 28 per cent to 40 per cent," Vijayan told reporters at a press conference here.

He said both he and Finance Minister K N Balagopal had repeatedly appealed—directly and through letters—to the Union Finance Ministry and the GST Council not to raise the tax rate.

"However, the Centre ignored all our requests, and that is what led to this steep tax hike," he added.

Vijayan stressed that the state government remains committed to protecting the lottery trade, which provides livelihoods to thousands of ord

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